Last.



No. 696,246. Patented Mar. 25, I902.

' C. B. KOSTERS.

LAST.

(Application filed Sept. 4. $901.) (No lonel.) 3 Sheets-Shae! l.

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C. B. KOSTE RS.

LAST.

(Application filed Se t. 4. 1901.) (No Model.) '3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 696,246. Patented Mar. 25, I902.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

CLEMENTS l3. KOSTERS, OF BUFFALO, NE\V YORK.

LAST.

SI-EGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 696,246, dated March 25, 1902.

' Application filed September 4, 1901. Serial No. 74,270. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLEMENTS B. KOSTERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved hinged last in which the parts may be separated when in one position and are locked together when in another position. 7

The main object of the invention is to provide asimple and strong hinging device for 1nultipartlasts,so that one partfor instance, aheel partcan be moved partially out of the shoe or boot and then detached from the remainder of the last.

The invention further relates to the device for locking the parts against movement and certain details of construction, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred adaptation of the invention is shown.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved last with the parts in extended position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of theimproved last, the heel part being turned on its hinge to shorten the last and permit its easy removal. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the improvedlast. Fig. 4. is a rear end view of the forward or toe part. Fig. 5 is a front end View of the rear or heel part. Fig. 6 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the last on line a a, Fig. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detached side elevation of theimproved hinge. Fig. 8 is an enlarged top plan view of the improved hinge. Fig. 9 is a section on line b b, Fig. 8, with the hinged parts in locked position. Fig. 10 is a section on line b b, Fig. 8, with the hinge parts turned into position to permit separation. Fig. 11 is a section on line b b, Fig. 8, with the hinge parts partially separated. Fig. 12 is an enlarged detachedside view of the locking device.

In referring to the drawings in detail, like numerals indicate like parts.

In the preferred adaptation of my invention the last comprises two parts, a toe part 1 and a heelpart 2. The rear end surface 3 on a corresponding incline for a short distance above the bottom, as shown at 4, and

then turns to extend orslant at nearly a right angle to the end surface of the toe portion, as shown at 5, when the last parts are in the extended position shown in Fig. 1. The object of this construction is to provide sufficient room so that the heel part may be turned from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2 and at the same time have the two parts in close and rigid contact near the bottom of the last when in the position shown in Fig. 1. Each part is slotted out to receive the hinge, as shown in Fig. 3. The hinge consists of two plates 6 and 7 ,the plate 6 having 'arecess 8, in which aprojection 9,

eXtendin g from the plate 7, seats and partially turns.

By referring to Fig. 9 it Will be noted that the hinge parts are locked together in one position against movement in any direction except an upwardly-turning movement of the projecting rear part in the recessed fore part from the position shown in said Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 10.

When the hinge parts are in the position shown in Fig. 9, the irregular curved edge of the projection is in contact at all points with the curvedwall of the recess, thereby forming an extremely strong and unyielding joint incapable of movement, save in the direction above mentioned.

The plate 6 has a shoulder 10, formed at the upper side of the recess 8, which is provided with a curved or concaved outer edge 11, and the wall of the recess is of angular outline and has an intermediate straight portion-12, which merges at the top in a curved portion 13, forming a segment of a circle, and "at the bottom in a curved portion-14., forming a portion of another circle having a different center. The upper curved portion 13 termi- "nates at the shoulder 10.

The projection 9 has its edge curved to correspond to the recess, as before stated, hav-' ing an upper edge 15, curved to about the same circle as the concavity 11, which terminates at its lower extreme in an abrupt shoulder 16, which is adapted to fit against the portion 12, and the straight portion in turn merges in a lower curved portion 19, which corresponds to the lower curved portion 14 of the recess.

The two hinge parts are each rigidly secured between fiat plates, the forward part being secured between two plates 20, each having a slanting rear wall 21 and the rear part between two plates 22, each having a front wall having its lower portion 23 slanting at the same angle as the rear wall 21 and its upper portion 2% slanting divergingly to the angle of the rear wall 21.

A locking device is provided to fasten the parts of the last against movement. The preferred construction of the lock is shown in Fig. 12, and consists of a plate 25, having a slanting lower notch 26 and an upper notch 27. The plate is pivotally secured to the fore part of the last by a screw or other fastening 28, substantially as shown in Fig. 4, and is turned to bring the metal above either of the notches into the groove 29 in the plate 7. The plate 25 is provided with a lateral flange 30, forming a convenient projecting part for the operators fingers. The notch 26 looks the parts of the last against any movement and the notch 27, while it permits a hinged movement of the last parts, limits the movement so that the parts cannot be separated.

The parts of the last are connected together by a flexible cord or like device 31.

The operation of the last will be easily understood from the foregoing description and the drawings.

The main advantages of this improved last are that the parts are detachably locked to each other, so that the heel part may be easily removed from the shoe without withdrawing the entire last to provide room for the introduction of anyof the necessarydevices into the shoe-heel necessaryin shoe manufacture, that the hinge device is of simple, neat, and strong construct-ion, and the projection is formed so that it fits at all points in the socket when the lasts parts are in their natural position, substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

When the hinge parts are in the position shown in Fig. 9, the portion 32 of the plate 7 constitutes an enlargement which abuts against therear edge or shoulder 33 of the plate 6, and thereby limits the downward movement of the rear part of the hinge. The particular advantage of this is that the downward movement of the rear part of the hinge is limited by both an upper shoulder 10 and a lower shoulder 33 and is thus very strongly locked against further movement, thereby removing all strain upon the lower abutting edges of the last parts.

Withoutlimitiug myself to the precise construction or arrangement of any or all parts shown or confining myself to a combination of any or all of said parts, except as hereinafter particularly pointed out, I claim as my invention- 1. In a separable multipart last, a plate secured to one part thereof having a recess provided with an irregular curved edge, and a plate secured to another part provided with an irregular projection adapted to fit and turn in the recess of the first-mentioned part.

2. In a separable multipart last, a plate socured to one part havinga recess and a shoulder at one side of said recess, and a plate secured to another part and havingla projection adapted to fit and turn in the recess of the first-mentioned plate and provided with a shoulder adapted to engagev the shoulder of the said first-m entioned plate to lock the parts together.

3. A separable hinged last having a plate attached to one of its parts provided with a socket, and a plate attached to another of its parts provided with a projection adapted to fit within the socket and said projection being adapted to turn on its periphery in said socket.

4. A separable multipart last having slots in its parts and a metal hinge device for connecting said last parts comprising a plate fitting in the slot in one part and having a recess provided with an irregularcurved edge, and a plate fitting in the slot in another part and having a projection adapted to fit and turn in said recess and to be withdrawn therefrom by a straight backward movementwhen in one position.

5. A hinged lasthaving one of its parts provided with a socket and another of its parts provided with a projection adapted to fit and turn in said socket and a lock-plate pivoted to one of said parts and having two locking notches, substantially as set forth.

6. A hinged last having one ofits parts provided with a socket and another of its parts provided with a projection adapted to fit and turn in said socket and a lock-plate pivoted to one of said parts and having two lockingnotches and a laterally-projecting fi nger-grip, substantially as set forth.

7. A separable hinged last having a plate attached to one of its parts, said plate having an irregular edge forming a socket extending from face to face of the plate, and a plate attached to another of the last parts provided with a projection corresponding in contour to the contour of the socket and adapted to fit and turn within the socket.

S. A separable hinged last having a plate attached to one of its parts, said plate having an irregular edge forming a shouldered socket extending through the entire thickness of the plate, and a plate attached to another of the last parts provided with a shouldered projection correspondingin contour to the contour of the shouldered socket and adapted to turn and lock therein.

OLEMENTS B. KOSTERS.

Witnesses:

GEo. A. NEUBAUER, CHAS. PANKow.

IIO 

